Running a business is, of course, stressful and expensive. Aside from business processes and transactions, too many companies struggle with keeping their recruitment costs down. Indeed, according to a survey run by Tempo, over one-third of Millennials plan to change job within the next 12 months, and some of them even early. As an employer, investing in the recruitment and training process of new employees is an investment that should be designed to maintain a long-term return.

So, the question you want to ask is why do people quit even though you’re taking good care of them?

The real answer is complicated. Their personal situation might encourage a change of job or location, for instance. Additionally, some employees fail to adapt to business changes and prefer to quit than stay in a position they don’t identify with anymore. But the reason that surprises employers the most is to hear that their staff didn’t feel appreciated.

Indeed, you’ve negotiated a generous pay for them.

They have some levels of flexibility in their job.

They’re working on exciting projects.

So you don’t understand what went wrong. The truth is that sometimes we can forget the little things that matter.

The stray comments nobody notices

Nobody wants to discriminate but, unfortunately, behaviour that might appear normal to one person could seem discriminatory to another.

As an employer, you need to pay attention to the side comments you hear – or say! – in meetings and the break room. They might not seem like much, but employees at the receiving end are likely to be upset. A foreign-born member of staff, for instance, could have to deal with unnecessary comments about their accent or their birthplace on a regular basis. You might even find that colleagues tend to mock their accent in meetings.

What appears to be harmless banter for you is discriminatory for your employee and could lead to their resignation.

Let them know they’re appreciated the right way

How do your staff know when their efforts are appreciated? For anybody who works independently within a team, it’s difficult to get feedback that encompasses their efforts and dedication. A simple thank you at the end of an email doesn’t exactly fit the purpose. Consequently, employees whose position isolates them from the rest of the team can often feel taken for granted. It’s your role to make sure they know they are appreciated. It’s precisely where services such as Surprise HR can win back disenchanted staff. Impactful employee recognition without connection to seniority or performance at a specific time can help to make your team feel valued.

Are you failing to make everybody feel included?

More and more employees feel lonely in the workplace. New members of staff are left to eat by themselves while the team is going for out for lunch. Cross-team employees are not part of discussions. Social events are sometimes planned without including the shyest employees, making it even harder for them to integrate with the team. Unfortunately, loneliness is a common threat in modern offices and can cause high turnover.

Your employees need to feel like they belong to the business and play a meaningful role in it. Excluding through a discriminatory behaviour or the thoughtlessness of the group makes it hard for them to want to stay. Aside from identifying issues and preventing them, you also need to make appreciation a positive and non-performance based process.

© New To HR